Whistleblowers have much power and are a corrective factor in business and politics. Most jurisdictions have implemented whistleblowers to motivate and protect them. One of the well-known whistleblowers is Frances Haugen. In 2021, a former Facebook data scientist exposed the dark side of social media algorithms and underscored the urgent need for transparency and accountability within the industry. In her book "The Power Of One," she explains herself.
The Twitter stock was hit today by the news that the company's former head of security, Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, had filed a whistleblower complaint accusing it of failing to protect sensitive user data. Zatko was fired by Twitter in January for what the company claims were poor performance. He was previously the company's head of security, reporting directly to the CEO. Zatko is represented by Whistleblower Aid, which also represented Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Several Facebook investors filed lawsuits and proposed a securities class action accusing the social media behemoth of misrepresentations regarding enforcement of its speech policies, its user growth, and other metrics. The lawsuits pointed to recently revealed accusations from whistleblower and former company product manager Frances Haugen. The lawsuits claim that news reports published in September and earlier this month based on Haugen's allegations sent company share prices sliding more than 14%.